As we continue to face many challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, several food banks in Oakville have been supporting individuals who have been hit hardest. With ongoing donations from the community at large, leaders from food banks like Fare Share and Kerr Street Mission say support from residents has helped provide fresh meals and necessities to families in need.
Peter Wolfraim, president of Fare Share in Oakville, says the number of households they support has nearly doubled since the pandemic began. Between March and December of this year, registered Fare Share families have increased from 400 to about 800. Founded in 1987, Fare Share accepts non-perishable items as well as monetary donations, which directly fund fresh food purchases included in prepared boxes and distributed to individuals.
“The food we distribute comes from community donations, and Oakville’s a very generous community,” says Wolfraim, who has been working with Fare Share for the last decade. “This year our profile has been raised because people have been paying more attention.”
Fare Share’s regular hours are Mondays from 9:30 am until 2:30 pm and Thursdays from 2:30 pm until 6:30 pm. It is located at 1240 Speers Road. A lot of promotion is brought in through social services, government agencies, and local churches, which send people to Fare Share’s door. Wolfraim says its history of remarkable donations from the community has allowed them to purchase fresh foods and homecare products for clients, including fruits, vegetables, soap, diapers, formula, and much more.
Although the initial lockdown back in March forced Fare Share to cut down on its volunteers, the food bank continues to serve more people with fewer hands-on help, and Wolfraim says they have adapted accordingly.
“We reworked our business processes, which worked well with social distance requirements. We always followed protocols,” Wolfraim says.
The same goes for the well-known Kerr Street Mission, which has been serving the Oakville community for almost 25 years.
Gary O’Neill, executive director of Kerr Street Mission (KSM), says this year has shown just how much food banks can support people in times of crisis. He saw a 58% increase of clients between May and September compared to the same time last year. In the last few weeks, the mission has served more than 700 people, whereas last year, they served about 500. KSM is open every day except for Sunday, and hours vary day by day.
Photo: Kerr Street Mission
“We made a decision from day one of the pandemic that we would stay open. We felt there would be more people who would now need us,” says O’Neill, who first got involved with KSM when he stocked shelves in 1996.
KSM hosts several children’s programs throughout the year, including a kids’ summer camp that costs $25 per month for parents, an after-school care program, and a sports program, all of which had reduced numbers this year because of provincial restrictions. Most of these programs are free.
Two of the other KSM programs are Choose Fresh, an initiative that provides families with fresh produce and protein, and Christmas Wonders and Beyond, which runs from November 1 until December 31.
This holiday program offers $100 gift cards to select stores for every registered family member, giving parents an opportunity to buy much-needed food, clothes, and special items for their children during the holiday season. KSM also gifts every participating child a new pair of pajamas and hosts a Christmas toy giveaway, which is set up in the KSM gym and offers kids a chance to choose their own toy. Due to pandemic restrictions this year, the toy giveaway will be held next July at a special “Christmas in July” event.
“In 2018, we provided Christmas for 1,330 people. In 2019, 1,550 people. This year, we’re well over 1,700 people,” O’Neill says.
Although O’Neill says some families often come too late to register for the Christmas Wonders and Beyond program, his team will direct parents to other organizations that can also help provide for them.
“We work closely with the Salvation Army and other organizations. We’ll find a way to make sure everyone got something,” O’Neill says.
Julia Hanna, owner of Ritorno in North Oakville, shares this sentiment. As a restaurant owner, she recognizes the importance of a fresh meal, and because of that, she started Ritorno Gives back in March to help support KSM.
Hanna and her three sons started out cooking meals for the mission and have continued to give back by preparing 50 fresh meals every month to KSM clients.
Julia Hanna, owner of Ritorno, and her mother, who regularly makes handmade pasta for the restaurant.
“We’re a privileged community, but we’re also one that gives back and has heart,” Hanna says. “A lot of people may not know poverty is there, but once they do, they want to do something about it.”
Hanna has decided to expand Ritorno Gives into the new year and has already received several monetary donations that directly fund the meals made and distributed to the KSM community. Ritorno Gives accepts mail-in donations to the restaurant at 261 Oak Walk Dr., unit 8.
“I believe food insecurity is going to be a direct outcome of COVID. All the generosity coming over from Christmas will extend into the new year,” Hanna says.
With a combination of job loss and rising rental costs in Oakville, O’Neill says it’s hard for many people to get by and provide for their families in such unprecedented times. But the loyal support of Oakville residents has shown just how strong a community can be when it comes together.
“The generosity and support from the community has been fantastic. We’re consistently trying to get the message out there about the fact that there’s poverty in Oakville,” O’Neill says.
“I don’t want to define Kerr Street Mission by the programs we have but how we respond to people in need. We want to get to know people and try to help them. We think that’ll be more important than ever in the next year or so.”
